With the coming of Artificial Intelligence, all the scams on the phone and Internet, and the political rhetoric, it seems like we’re living in fact-free world. Of course whether they were for fun, notoriety, or profit, hoaxes have been around almost forever.
When I was little I remember hearing about the famous radio broadcast “War of the Worlds” that caused widespread panic because people really thought aliens were invading the Earth. It turns out that on September 19, 1994 a similar incident traumatized an entire city in northern China. On televisions in Taiyuan, China a scrolled message warned people about the gruesome Sibuxiang Beast, a creature with a deadly bite. “It is said that the Sibuxiang is penetrating our area from Yanmenguan Pass and within days will enter thousands of homes. Everyone close your windows and doors and be on alert!”
Taiyuan residents panicked — some even barricaded themselves inside their homes. Local officials were soon swamped with anxious telephone calls.
But it was all a giant misunderstanding. The Sibuxiang Beast was real, but it wasn’t an animal — it was a new brand of liquor. The townspeople had been watching a commercial.
The creator of the ad was fined the equivalent of $600 for causing a public panic, but the incident turned Sibuxiang liquor into a household name virtually overnight. Three months after the incident, the owner reported that his client base had quadrupled.
It’s hard to believe that in this day and age, people would react like that. But then again, politicians and congress apparently think the human race is pretty gullible.
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